Jodie Comer picks Jessie Buckley and Harry Melling as the greatest actors of her generation

# What Comer said and why it matters

Jodie Comer told The Independent she would call Jessie Buckley and Harry Melling the greatest actors of her generation. She gave concise reasons: Buckley appears "embodied and fearless," while Melling chooses roles for himself and shows "a lot of integrity" and "strong intuition."

Comer's comments came in an interview for the Independent video series Life in Pictures, where she explained what draws her to other actors' work rather than making a broad industry ranking.

# How she describes Jessie Buckley

Comer singled out Buckley for the way she inhabits roles. Buckley's recent credits include films such as I'm Thinking of Ending Things and The Lost Daughter, the TV series Fargo, and a high-profile year in which she won an Oscar for her performance in Chloé Zhao's Hamnet. Comer said she is "always so excited to see what [Buckley] does."

# How she describes Harry Melling

Comer praised Melling after working with him on the body-horror romance musical Stuffed. She said his choices feel self-directed and that he has a strong intuition, which made Comer more interested in a script once she learned he was attached. Melling's earlier roles include Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films, plus parts in The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Pale Blue Eye and Pillion.

# Where Comer's career and collaborations fit in

Comer spoke about Stephen Graham, who recommended her to his agent after they worked together on the BBC series Good Cop. They later co-starred in the Covid drama Help. Comer described Graham as a "constant" in her life and said she expects they will work together again.

# Current project

Hood, in which Comer appears opposite Hugh Jackman, is in cinemas now. Comer mentioned the film in the interview while discussing recent work and collaborators.

# What readers should take away

Comer's choices reflect admiration for actors who make distinct, self-directed choices and who fully inhabit roles. Naming Buckley and Melling frames her view of contemporary acting as valuing courage, presence and craft over celebrity or profile.

• Comer named Jessie Buckley and Harry Melling as the two greatest actors of her generation.
• Buckley won an Oscar this year for Hamnet and has appeared in films and TV including I'm Thinking of Ending Things, The Lost Daughter and Fargo.
• Comer worked with Melling on the film Stuffed and praised his integrity and intuition as an actor.
• Comer's own credits noted in the interview include My Mad Fat Diary, Doctor Foster, Killing Eve (Emmy), Free Guy, Prima Facie (Olivier and Tony) and The Death of Robin Hood (in cinemas).